OSHA Inspection: HACK DRILLING CO., INC.

Issued

Mar 16, 1998

Abate by

Apr 30, 1998

Penalty

Initial $4,000 · Current $1,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(A)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from
recognized hazards that
were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that employees
were exposed to:  A struck by hazard from the breakout and makeup tongs at
Rig #6 located at
Parks 672, #15 lease, Gail, TX 79738.
The employer, Hack Drilling Co. Inc., exposed employees working on Rig #6
located in Borden
County, TX on the Parks 672 #15 lease to struck by hazards.  The controls
activating the clutch
drum and cathead were not distinguishable in that the operator (driller)
would be unable to
correctly identify one from the other by feel rather than sight.  On
October 11, 1997 the driller
on rig #6 inadvertently activated the cathead control instead of the
clutch drum control causing
the breakout tongs to strike a roustabout in the upper body and head.  The
controls were located
such that one control could easily mistaken for the other.  Both controls
had the same type knob
which prevented the driller from distinguishing one control from the
other, causing the driller
to inadvertently activate the cathead control rather than the drum clutch
control.  among other
methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method is to change the
configuration of one
of the two knobs so that the clutch drum control is distinguishable from
the cathead control.

Issued

Mar 16, 1998

Abate by

Apr 2, 1998

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $100 Reduced

Issued

Mar 16, 1998

Abate by

Apr 2, 1998

Penalty

Initial $1,600 · Current $400 Reduced